


Why did you help me

by BlueFlameBird



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jaytim secret santa 2017, M/M, pork and beans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 01:49:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13307847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFlameBird/pseuds/BlueFlameBird
Summary: my other fic for JTSS2017. in which Jason finds tim





	Why did you help me

**Author's Note:**

> so this picks up after tim "died" aka was captured. minor spoilers i guess. for ignomines on tumblr

This had all started when Jason found Tim. 

Tim was locked in a cell, Red Robin armor still cut up and bloody, face healing from its swells, obviously malnourished. 

And despite all this, Tim’s eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, were still every bit as determined and intelligent and  _ hopeful _ as Jason can remember seeing them. 

Tim had looked Jason right in the eye, daring him to make a move. Those intelligent blue eyes seemed to have known Jason’s move before he made it. 

It was confirmed when Bizarro ripped the lock off the cell and Tim didn’t flinch, didn’t remove his gaze from Jason’s. 

There was a long pause, both Robins waiting for the other to make a move, analyzing each other before Tim slowly rose from his spot. 

Tim walked out of his cell, only a slight limp to show for his troubles, walking right up to Jason so they were face to face. 

Again, they were all silent before Tim once again broke it. 

“It’s about time, Hood.”

Jason snorted, and just like that the tension in the room melted. Tim walked past Jason, towards the door the Outlaws had busted open as Jason tilted his head to watch him go. 

“Huh, he certainly is something. I like him already.” Artemis supplied. Jason rolled his eyes under his hood, shaking his head and following Tim out the door. 

Jason watched as Tim led the way out, seeming to already know the twists and turns of the place. He contemplated calling Bruce, but decided against it. He knew, in good conscious, he should. But if Tim, right now, was anything like how Jason was when he first returned from his little vacation from life, Tim needed someone to ground him, someone who wasn’t the man who let him down. 

Jason would gladly volunteer.

“Am Small Him ok?” Bizarro asked, cautiously watching Tim, who slipped on his mask and was every bit of the Red Robin persona at the moment. 

“I don’t know yet. You see anything broken on the inside, big man?” Jason asked Bizarro quietly. 

Bizarro shook his head. “Me can’t see anything.”

Lead-lined suit, Jason thought. Probably to keep Kon from being nosey or something. That was just like him. Careful, paranoid, prepared. 

It was sad and admirable at the same time. 

Tim was silent the whole trip to Jason’s safehouse. Artemis kept giving Jason pointed looks, but Jason ignored her, knowing that trying to force Tim to do anything would only make things worse. 

Instead, he let Tim stay in his thoughts as he pulled up to his safe house, Bizarro landing next to his car with a solid thud. 

Jason turned to Tim, wondering how he should approach the subject of getting Tim out of his costume. He was in obvious need of a shower, and Jason knew he needed to check him for wounds. Tim may have been a master at hiding how he really felt, but a near death experience could always be as bad as the real thing. 

There was a moment of awkward silence before Artemis cleared her throat and got out of the car. “Come, Bizarro is hungry and so am I. I assume you are too, Tim? Bizarro makes some great pork and beans.”

Artemis didn’t wait for a response. She shut the door and led Bizarro inside, leaving Jason to deal with Tim on his own. 

Jason silently cursed her retreating form. How dare she just dump him alone to the wolf-

“So, she knows me as Tim. I assume they both know about the bat then?”

Jason bit his lip, choosing his words carefully. Jason didn’t worry too much about his secret identity, he was legally dead after all. After that whole incident with Black Mask, though, he’s been a bit more careful. 

But Tim, Tim was Bruce’s level of paranoid when it came to their nightly escapades. Anyone who knew Tim was Red Robin was a calculated risk, one Tim was comfortable with. Tim didn’t know Artemis, and the last thing he needed was Tim pissing her off. 

“She knows about you and Dick. That’s it. Dick paid me a little visit the other day in costume. That’s what he gets for not calling before dropping by. But I needed to tell her about you to-” 

_ To get her to understand why you were so important to me.  _

“-To get her to help me. I trust her.”

Tim studied Jason for long, uncomfortable second. His eyes were still hidden behind that damned mask and Jason had to clench his hands to keep them from ripping the mask off his face. 

“If you trust her, then she must really be trustworthy.” 

Jason let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding at Tim’s words. Tim finally looked away, fiddling with his gloves in a more Tim gesture than a Red Robin one. “I also wasn’t aware you and Dick were on such good terms.”

Jason snorted. “Barely. But when you- when everyone thought you died, we were a mess. We needed each other.” 

It was Jason’s turn to level Tim with a stare, one intense enough that Tim was able to pick out the little green flecks in Jason’s eyes even in the dim lighting, before breaking the gaze by turning his head away and opening the door. 

Tim climbed out without another word, and Jason let out a long sigh before following. 

He liked to think he and Tim were close before the whole “Tim took on a whole bunch of drones and nearly died” thing happened. It took some time to get rid of the feelings of jealousy and animosity from Jason’s side. And then it took even more time to get over the awkwardness and overall carefulness they had around each other. 

One thing Jason was always grateful for was the Tim never treated him like he was crazy, or like he needed to be watched. Dick and Bruce had the habit of talking to him like he was a ticking time bomb, and while they seemed to realize he wasn’t going to burn down Gotham out of spite every time soon, Jason knew sometimes they worried about him. It would be sweet if it didn’t piss him off so much. 

But not Tim. Tim treated him like a person. He was mindful of Jason’s thoughts and feelings, and seemed genuinely surprised when Jason returned the favor. 

It was then when Jason realized something important: Tim was taken for granted. And the more they talked and the closer they got, the more Jason got protective of Tim. He realized that everyone was so used to having Tim there that they never even stopped to say thank you to him. And so, Jason made a silent vow to himself. In order to prove that Tim’s forgiveness wasn’t in vain, Jason would do his damned best at protecting Tim and showing him he mattered. He would be there for Tim, because Tim was there for everyone, including himself.

Jason and Tim entered the house, and Tim stood awkwardly in the living room, taking in the small bookshelf, cluttered papers, and almost homey environment, courtesy of Artemis and Bizarro. Jason’s safehouses normally didn’t hold anything of value; cheap clothes that was easily replaceable, enough food for a few days. It was supposed to be a place he could enter and leave without being noticed or missed. But ever since Artemis and Bizarro stuck around, it started feeling more like a place to return to. 

Though, Jason supposed that even if they had to leave the house, as long as he had Artemis and Bizarro with him, he wouldn’t mind. 

He wouldn’t ever tell them that, though.

Somehow he felt they knew all the same. 

“Since you’re the guest, you can have the shower first. The hot water only runs for about an hour, though, so don’t take too long.” Artemis snapped Tim out of his musings, waving a hand in the general direction of the bathroom. Her tone left no room for argument and honestly, a shower sounded heavenly to Tim, who just wanted to eat something, get clean, and then crash for a few days. But he wouldn’t let it on, could never show that he was weak.

Tim glanced towards Jason, who snapped to attention and made a beeline for the restroom. “I’ll show you, I don’t think you’ve been in this safe house. Had to relocate after my whole shebang with Black Mask.” 

Tim followed silently, stepping passed Jason as they made it to the door. Once inside, Tim peeled off his mask and unhooked his cape, and Jason took them both. 

“Unfortunately, all of our equipment is at my hideout-”

“The police bunker?” 

Jason nodded, “yeah. I figured it’d be smarter to let you rest and freshen up rather than jumping right to work.”

“I wouldn’t have minded either way. But...thank you, Jason. Now if you don’t mind.” Tim gave Jason a pointed look and Jason had to fight a blush, realizing what Tim meant. Privacy. For a shower. Right. 

“Y-yeah. I’ll go see if I have some of your spare clothes. If not you can use something of mine. Uh...yeah.” Jason made a hasty retreat, missing Tim’s smirk as he all but ran from the bathroom. 

When the door firmly locked behind him, Jason took a deep breath and went over to the kitchen, checking on his friends. 

Bizarro was leaning over the stove, carefully stirring a pot of beans. 

“Is he alright?”

Artemis’ voice sounded from behind Jason, and he turned to see her leaning against the doorway. 

Jason suppressed a sigh. “I don’t know. Tim’s always been great at hiding how he feels. I’ll have to coax it out of him.”

“Bizarro and I can go, if it makes it easier.” Artemis offered, and Bizarro made a grunt of agreement. 

Jason bit his lip. He didn’t just want to kick them out for the night. Sure, he had plenty more safehouses they could use, but, in all honesty, he wasn’t sure how Tim would handle being alone with another bat. For all he knew, they abandoned him. Wrote him off as dead and didn’t bother to find the body. Hell, Jason didn’t even manage to go to the funeral. He couldn’t bring himself to. 

“Pup pup like small him?”

Jason tried to smile, though he was sure it looked more like a grimace. “Yeah. Guess you can say that.”

“We aren’t stupid, Jason. We know affection when we see it.” Jason sent a quick glare to Artemis but couldn’t find it in his heart to put the heat behind it. Artemis rolled her eyes. “You could deny it all you want but it’s obvious. Now go make sure he’s ok. Bizarro and I can handle dinner.” 

Jason nodded, silently making his way to his room. He tossed the cape and mask aside and pulled out a little box from under his bed. In it was his and Tim’s clothes, things he couldn’t bring himself to throw away even when changing safe houses. 

Grabbing a pair of sweats, a shirt and boxers, Jason quickly stashed it back, ignoring the stab of guilt he felt when he first packed it with the intention of throwing it away, only to chicken out. 

Jason quickly made his way to the bathroom before his emotions and thoughts got the better of him, knocking on the door. 

“Tim? I brought you a change of clothes.” 

Jason waited for a few seconds as the water shut off. Rustling could be heard before Tim opened the door enough to poke his head out, face still blank but with a slight blush from the hot water. Heat steamed out of the bathroom, making Jason shiver slightly. 

Tim looked down at the clothes with a raised eyebrow, but took them with a near silent “thank you.” 

Jason didn’t miss the way the movement made Tim subtly wince. 

Seeming to catch his mistake, Tim looked up at Jason, eyes going wide. 

“Jason-”

“Move Tim.” 

Tim stared at Jason like a deer in headlights, but Jason’s eyes were firm, so with a sigh, he slowly stepped back and allowed Jason to slip inside. 

Tim’s hips were wrapped in a towel, hair dripping wet. On his chest littered a few cuts that seemed to have closed before and reopened from the shower just a little. Most of them weren’t bad. The worst was the one on his side, a deep gash that was most certainly going to scar. Tim’s legs, arms, and torso were covered in bruises, one of his ankles a greenish color. That was probably the cause of the limping.

With a sigh, Jason motioned for Tim to sit on the toilet. Tim obeyed, knowing it was useless to try and argue with Jason now that he’s seen the damage.

Wordlessly, Jason reached under the sink and pulled out his first aid kit. It wasn’t grande by bat standards, but it held everything he needed to patch up wounds quick. Pulling out the alcohol and bandages, Jason motioned for Tim to turn so he could address the gash on his side. Tim obeyed, turning slightly. 

Tim didn’t wince as Jason cleaned the wound. He didn’t make a sound. Both of them were silent, the only noise the rustling of the bandages as Jason wrapped them firmly but gently around Tim’s torso. 

Tim resisted the urge to shudder at the feeling of Jason’s hands, the same hands that once held a knife to his neck, the same hands that have punched him and held a gun to shoot at him with countless times, gently traced over the bandages. His skin broke out in goosebumps as Jason’s fingers gently traced over the other cuts, as if their delicate touch could make them disappear. 

Finally unable to take the silence, Tim grabbed one of Jason’s hands. Jason froze, blue meeting blue as they locked eyes. Tim’s face was still blank, but his eyes were open, earnest, a little scared. 

“Jason, why are you helping me?”

There were a million answers to that question. That he knew what it was like to be left on his own. That they were Robins, and Robins stuck together. That they were apart of their crazy bat family. But all of them left Jason as he stared at Tim. Tim, unbreakable, smart, stubborn Tim, who looked so vulnerable right now. 

Swallowing Jason opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “Because you needed me.” 

Tim was silent, watching Jason for any sign of dishonesty, but Jason knew there was none, because it was the simple truth. 

Seeming to accept this Tim, leaned forward, slowly so Jason could pull away should he decide to. But it seemed Jason didn’t want to, as he let Tim close the distance between them in a short kiss. It was nothing more than a simple press of lips, but Jason could read between the lines. It was a thank you. It was a promise of Jason’s kindness never being forgotten. It was the willingness to start something more, if Jason wanted. 

But not right now. Jason knew Tim was in no place to start anything right now. 

Jason tucked a strand of Tim’s hair behind his ear, sighing softly. “We can talk more after dinner, you must be starving.”

“I’d like that. I was promised pork and beans?” Tim’s lips quirked up, and Jason felt himself smiling. 

With time, perhaps everything was going to be ok. 


End file.
